According to Counterpoint Research, Apple has started 2021 off with a bang. The company released a list of its 10 best-selling smartphones in January, six of which were iPhones.

Furthermore, of the remaining four slots, only two are from Samsung, the Galaxy A31 and Galaxy A21S, both budget devices selling for less than $200 outside the US. Apple, on the other hand, has selected all four high-end iPhone 12s models. Is this alarming for Samsung?

Before we cut to the chase, here is the full list. Remember that these numbers are based on global sales in January, so it is quite possible that things could have changed drastically over the next few months.

While it is clear that the launch of the iPhone 12 was a huge success for Apple, it is important not to get too carried away about what these numbers tell us about the opposition for several reasons.

First, even the best-selling iPhone 12 captured only 6% of the global market. Even if you add up the percentages of all the top 10 companies, it is only 24%, leaving a very long and profitable tail for other manufacturers to chase. This graph favors brands like Apple, which manufactures only a handful of handsets, against brands like Samsung, which has dozens of models in its Galaxy S, Note, Z, and A series.

Second, the timing is good for Apple. While this chart was compiled in January, the iPhone 12 series was the most recently launched and best-selling flagship, with models released in October and November. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S21 was launched on January 14.

At the same time, there are certainly reasons for Samsung executives to be a bit concerned. First, Xiaomi's appearance above Samsung with the Redmi 9 and 9A is a cause for concern given that the Chinese company does not sell handsets in the US.

Second, the fact that the iPhone 12 mini is ranked 8th should ring alarm bells as the company has reportedly cut production in the face of overwhelming sales. If the iPhone 12 mini is underperforming and still the 8th best-selling smartphone, what does that say about its competitors?

It will certainly be interesting to see if the Samsung Galaxy S21 appears in the February and March charts. If not, Samsung may be under a lot of pressure with its next big flagship model, the Galaxy Z Fold 3.